The garden is an easily accessible, concentrated food source for common rabbit species, such as the Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). Rabbits are herbivores, requiring a high-fiber, plant-based diet to maintain their continually growing teeth and healthy digestive systems. While wild rabbits naturally graze on grasses and other forage, cultivated gardens offer nutrient-dense options that are often more palatable than their typical diet. This abundance of tender vegetation attracts them to residential areas that also provide protective cover from predators.
High-Value Cultivated Crops (Vegetables and Herbs)
Rabbits prefer the soft, new growth found in vegetable and herb gardens, which provides a higher concentration of nutrients and moisture than mature plants. Young seedlings are vulnerable due to their tenderness and high water content, often resulting in entire rows being “clipped” to the ground. Rabbit damage is characterized by a clean, angled cut on the stem, distinguishing it from the ragged tear left by deer.
Leafy greens are a primary target, including lettuce, spinach, and cabbage. Rabbits also readily consume the leafy tops of root crops, such as carrot tops and beet greens, which are more appetizing than the roots themselves. Legumes like peas and beans are frequently browsed, as are aromatic herbs such as parsley and basil. Even plants with strong flavors, including dill, mint, and thyme, are often consumed in small amounts.
Ornamental Plants and Landscape Targets
Rabbits graze extensively on a wide range of ornamental plants, often targeting the most tender parts. Spring-blooming bulbs, especially the new shoots of tulips, are attractive when they first emerge from the soil. They readily consume common garden annuals like impatiens, petunias, and pansies, along with perennials such as hostas and daylilies.
Rabbits frequently target the buds and flowers, but will consume the leaves and stems if other food sources become scarce. Shrubs are also at risk, especially the tender new shoots that appear in spring, with favorites including crabapple, roses, and burning bush. Damage to ornamentals is often noticeable as a uniform grazing line, typically under 15 inches from the ground.
Essential Forage and Structural Chewing
The baseline diet of a wild rabbit consists mainly of native forage, including grasses, clover, and common weeds like dandelions and plantain. Rabbits graze on these items throughout the year, especially when they are lush and readily available in spring and summer. This constant grazing behavior is necessary to wear down their continuously growing incisors.
During winter or drought, when soft green vegetation is scarce or covered by snow, rabbits shift their diet to woody materials. This is known as structural chewing, where they consume the bark and lower stems of young trees and shrubs for roughage and moisture. They are attracted to trees with thin, smooth bark, such as young maples, apples, and cherries. This gnawing can completely remove the bark in a ring around the trunk, a process called girdling, which disrupts nutrient flow and can be fatal to the plant.
Plants Rabbits Typically Avoid
While rabbits have broad appetites, they tend to avoid plants with unappealing characteristics, such as toxicity, strong odors, or tough textures. The compounds in alliums, including onions, garlic, and ornamental varieties, produce a pungent odor and taste that rabbits find repulsive. Similarly, members of the nightshade family, such as tomatoes and potatoes, are often left alone due to toxic compounds like solanine.
Plants with fuzzy or leathery foliage, such as lamb’s ear and hellebore, are less palatable because they are difficult to chew and digest. Strongly scented herbs like lavender and rosemary contain volatile oils that act as natural deterrents. The bulbs and foliage of daffodils are also avoided because they contain lycorine, a toxic and unappealing substance.